Dogs

          Alright. I'll say it right now. I don't hate dogs. Yes, I own (kind of an interesting thought) a cat now and for the most part I enjoy the company of cats over dogs, mostly because dogs are too needy for me. But the issue I'm having recently really does not have anything to do with dogs. It has to do with the bad owners of dogs. Unfortunately, dogs are getting the brunt of the criticism.
     I not quite sure what is going on in our society.
     For the past year I have noticed an increase in the number of people who think it is ok to take their dogs into public places. I'm not talking the beach or a park here. Target, Michaels, Walmart, post office, convenience stores, and yes, sad but true, the grocery store. I first ran into this problem when Pet Co and Pets Plus decided to allow dogs and other pets into their stores. After all, they are pet stores. But I am uncomfortable with even those stores allowing pets. I have been shopping in one while a dog lifted it's leg on the bottom shelf of merchandise. Had I not been standing right there, who knows how long it would have been there? The owner was oblivious. How many other items on those bottom shelves had been peed on? Disgusting. Again here, I reiterate: it was the problem of the owner, not the dog. The dog was just doing what came naturally.
     In the grocery store last month, a woman had two dogs: one on a leash and one in her arms. She was feeding the dog in her arms from the sample bar that had been set up for customers. When I complained to the manager, he said his hands were tied because she said the dogs were her service dogs. I went home to look up the law. The manager was right. Technically they cannot ask a person to remove their animals unless it attempts to bite or visibly pees on the floor. Really, according to the law, they are not even supposed to ask a person about their dog for fear of embarrassing them. The dogs/animals are not required to wear any type of identification, again because of embarrassment to the owner. The only recourse the store has is to put a sign outside the doors saying that animals, other than service animals, are not allowed. Yeah, that works well.
     No wonder people take advantage of this loop hole in the law. Where are the rights of other people? Where is my right to be able to walk through a grocery, buy food from a salad bar or deli without the chance of a dog being there before me?
     What is wrong with people? Why do so many people think they are above the law? I'm sure the original laws were written to make disabled life easier and non restricted. But I think something should be done to rewrite these laws, so that people cannot take advantage of them. I am not opposed to a disabled person having any kind of a service animal, but I think it would be better for all involved for those service animals to be regulated a little better.
     Feeding a dog from the sample bar...really?